Biochemical engineering seeks to generate products at the lowest possible costs with the best quality through bioprocesses that yield the highest productivity and that are consistently reproducible batch after batch. It requires personnel well-specialized in equipment management for the different operations units frequently used in bioprocesses.
This course bridges the knowledge and experience gap for students of microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology, and related disciplines who are interested in how biological discoveries can be turned into commercial products and services. The Biology-to-technology approach is a multidisciplinary challenge that requires process analysis, design, and scaling up. In keeping with this general objective, basic biology is not covered in this course, as a foundation of microbiology is assumed. Furthermore, although most aspects of bioprocess engineering are presented quantitatively, priority will be given to minimizing the use of complex mathematics that may be beyond the comfort zone of non-engineering students. In that sense, no prior chemical or biochemical engineering knowledge is assumed.
Content Summary
The course is a case study lasting one week, where students will carry out a bioprocess of producing, at the pilot plant level, an intracellular enzyme (penicillin amidase) using a recombinant bacterium (E. coli). From production to extraction and purification, they will operate the specialized equipment and the most common unit operations used in bioprocesses and execute the corresponding microbiological controls.
This workshop will allow students to apply the knowledge acquired in four theoretical sessions in a real production bioprocess, where experimental samples will be processed to generate biological data that will enable critical analysis. Finally, a presentation session and discussion of results by the students will reaffirm the acquired knowledge.
Application procedure
Send motivation letter, 2 recommendation letters and CV to leobardo.serrano@ibt.unam.mx
Applications are open starting March 17th, applications received before this date might not be considered.
Last day to apply: March 28th, 2025.
